Preparing for your dog's labor and puppy care can be both exciting and fun; still, awareness of potential problems is of paramount importance. It is a good idea to keep track of your dog's breeding date so as to know when to expect what. After about 35 days of pregnancy, the mother's caloric requirements will begin to increase. In general, she should require about twice as much food as usual whereas, when she begins nursing, she will need three times as much food. Do not supplement calcium as this can cause metabolic imbalances; also, excess vitamins may be harmful to the puppies. The best nutritional plan is to buy a dog food approved for growth and feed according to the package; such diets are balanced and require no supplementation. Exercise of the pregnant bitch need not be restricted until after the first 4 to 6 weeks of pregnancy. Some time around the 45th day, your dog should be examined by a veterinarian. At this time, the skeletons of the unborn pups will have mineralized and are thus visible on a radiograph. Your dog's abdomen should be x-rayed so that you know how many pups to expect. Ultrasound may be used to confirm pregnancy much earlier (after 25 days, the embryonic heart may be seen beating) but it is more difficult to count the number of pups using this method. A comfortable area should be set aside for whelping and raising the puppies. The bitch should feel at home here and should be able to come and go as she likes while the puppies must remain confined. The gestation period of the dog is considered to be 63 days though this is not written in stone and a normal range might be 58 to 68 days. Impending Labor When your dog's due date is approaching, you should begin monitoring her rectal temperature. When her temperature drops below 100F (normal canine temperature is 101F-102F), labor may be expected within 24 hours. The First Stage of Labor During this stage, uterine contractions begin. The bitch will appear very restless and may pace, dig, shiver, pant, or even vomit. This is all normal and all an owner can do is see that the bitch has water available should she want it. The Second and Third Stages of Labor The second stage is the hard labor stage in which the puppy is expelled. The third stage refers to the expulsion of the placenta and afterbirth. Each pup may not be followed by afterbirth; the mother may pass two pups and then two placentas. This is normal. Puppies are born covered in membranes that must be cleaned away or the pup will suffocate. The mother will bite and lick the membranes away. Allow her a minute or two after birth to do this; if she does not do it, then you must clean the pup for her. Simply remove the slippery covering and rub the puppy with a clean towel. The umbilical cord may be tied in a knot about one inch from the pup and cut with scissors on the far side of the knot. Expect one pup every 45 to 60 minutes with 10 to 30 minutes of hard straining. It is normal for bitches to take a rest partway through delivery, and she may not strain at all for up to 4 hours between pups. If she is seen straining hard for over an hour, or if she takes longer than a 4-hour break, consult a veterinarian. Expect some puppies (probably half of them) to be born tail first. This is not abnormal for dogs. Call Your Veterinarian If: 30 to 60 minutes of strong contractions occur with no puppy being produced. Greater than four hours pass between pups and you know there are more inside. She fails to go into labor within 24 hours of her temperature drop. She is in obvious extreme pain. Greater than 70 days of gestation have passed. It is normal for the bitch to spike a fever in the 24 to 48 hours following birth. This fever should not be accompanied by clinical signs of illness. Normal vaginal discharge after parturition should be odorless and may be green, dark red-brown or bloody and may persist in small amounts for up to 8 weeks. Problems to Watch For Metritis (Inflammation of the Uterus) Signs of this condition are as follows: fever foul-smelling vaginal discharge listlessness loss of appetite no interest in the puppies decreased milk production If these signs are noted, usually in the first day or two postpartum, a veterinarian should be consulted. Your dog may have retained a placenta or have suffered some trauma during delivery. Animals who have required assistance with delivery are often predisposed to metritis. Eclampsia This condition results when the bitch has trouble supporting the calcium demand of lactation. Calcium supplementation predisposes a bitch to this condition. Usually affected animals are small dogs. They demonstrate: nervousness and restlessness no interest in the pups stiff, painful gait This progresses to: muscle spasms inability to stand fever seizures This condition generally occurs in the first 3 weeks of lactation and a veterinarian should be consulted immediately. Mastitis (Inflammation of the Breasts) Normal nursing glands are soft and enlarged. Diseased glands are red, hard, and painful. In general, the bitch does not act sick; the disease is confined to the mammary tissue. The bitch may be sore and discourage the pups from nursing; however, it is important to keep the pups nursing the affected glands. This is not harmful to the puppies and helps flush out the infected material. Hot packing may be helpful. Most dogs are excellent mothers and problems are few. The basic rule is to seek veterinary care if she seems to feel sick or if she ceases to care for her young. Puppies nurse until they are about 6 weeks old and then may be adopted by new homes.

6:00 pm pictures 9/8/2004

CH SR Curlygleann Kiwi Dream WC CGC CR-677G24M-PI, CR-EL111M24-PI, SN91060601, DOB May 2 2001 See the dogs behind Moxy's pedigree	NZCH Tani Cyber Space 0270723701 NZKC03126-1999 Hip Score 2:1=3	NZ CH NDOKI Matabele Warrior ANKC1572843 (IMP AUST) 1572843	Lizallwood Lucifer KCT2594901 T2594901T02 AVA Hip Score 3:4
			AUST CH Blazeaway Classic Lace C.D.X. T.D. 1337103
		Kotene Merlot NZKC06510-1997	NZCH Curlwyn Black Cheka QC NZKC01081-1989
			Tavistock Radiance NZKC 12750-1989
	Ch. Curlygleann Black Brena 0270723801 07623-1994 Hip Score 4:3=7 PennHip 60th%	Gr. Ft. Ch. Midisland Sinbahd 00855-1987 Hip 5:5=10	NZ CH & GFT CH Pukemere Mura Kuri QC. 00396-1982
			FT CG Toakaha Atiamuri 00336-1983
		NZ CH Blazeaway Stormy Event IMP-AUST 1107959	Au CH Ladybrow Bolshan KCK0268102K04
			Au CH Blazeaway Quality Street S20420/91 249265
CH SoftMaple N HunterBay's NYwkend CGC TT CHIC CR-EL99F28-PI CR-645E28F-PI, CR-CA135/34F/C-PI See the dogs behind Kasey's pedigree	Dutch, VDH, German Ch. Caballus Inferno JWW'98, W'98, Europasieger '99, Bundessieger'99 Hips A/A (Finland), B1 (Holland)	Int&FIN&N Ch, NordV-95-97-98, FINW-96-97-98-99, SW-96-98, JWW-96 Caballus Fair Dinkum hips A/A, clear eye cert '99	CH Darelyn Double Dutch
			Int&Nord Ch NordW-94 SW-94, WW-98 Caballus Out for a Blaze
		Oak's Wild Song HD fri Norden Hips A, eyes clear 12.05.00 SF23859/94	Dutch,Luxemburg,German,VDH Champion Cornish Marksman B1-B2 Hips
			Oak's Rhapsody
	CH Mathel Felicitation ROM CR-CA3/38F/C CR-453G24F CERF	CH Haamorin Indeksi ROM CR-CA2/89M/C-T CR-315G24M-T	Haamorin Hurmuri
			Haamorin Usvana
		CH Darelyn Zelsa CR-EL12 CR-351G31F	Eng CH Darelyn Sutton Tied Boy
			Eng SH CH Darelyn Wychita

Breeding: What We're Taught There are many platitudes in the dog world, such as "A fast maturing puppy will fade" and "Only breed when you'll keep one for yourself." This last maxim is even used to chastise breeders who do not keep a puppy from every litter. The idea is that in every litter there will be a star puppy who should be grown out by the breeder. The fact is that not all litters produce show puppies. Keeping even the best puppy from a mediocre litter will not achieve the breeder's objectives. It would be best to place these puppies in permanent companion homes and try something different the next time around, but this is not often done in our breed. Instead, the breeder keeps the best in a particular litter, grows out the pick puppy, and takes her to dog shows. Dog shows are unforgiving and soon identify mediocrity. A determined person will put many shows on an average dog in an attempt to "prove" her breeding program. It would be better to make a more critical evaluation of puppies at 8 weeks and come to more realistic conclusions about their future prospects. Another example of conventional wisdom involves litter frequency. This is carried to extremes when people start judging breeders by numbers: "Did you know she had (three, four) litters last year?" As if this were something shameful. In our breed, which has fallen from 36th in AKC registrations to 100th in a decade, this so-called wisdom is hardly wise. We need dedicated people who are willing to study, spend the time, and do the work necessary to breed dogs. Having one litter every few years does not make one a breeder, nor does it provide a person with the experience required to whelp and raise puppies or to develop a consistent line of dogs. When you have questions and problems with a litter, who do you call? I call someone who has been breeding dogs for 50 years and, at one time that I remember, had three litters at once. He is in another breed, and has never been criticized for the excellent job he did with his puppies. Spring always found him whelping at least one litter for himself, and perhaps a few more for other people. We need these master breeders desperately: They have a wealth of knowledge to share about breeding dogs and raising puppies. We also need more ways to record their knowledge, share it with others and preserve it for the future. We need dedicated people in our breed and, in fact, in every breed to continue the lines and to work to breed the best dogs possible. As baby boomers retire from breeding dogs over the next two decades, we will have to recruit new breeders to carry on. Holding people back with worn-out phrases will not work. There is room for everyone, for those who can breed only occasionally and for those who will become the master breeders of the future. We need to encourage and learn from those who have the time, resources, and dedication to spend shaping the future of our breeds. Reprinted from the June 2006 AKC Gazette breed Keeshonden breed column. Written by Deborah A. Lynch. Deborah A. Lynch is the Executive Vice-President of the AKC Canine Health Foundation. She has been a breeder and exhibitor of Keeshonden since 1971 under the Foxfair prefix. She is a member of the Keeshond Club of America and is past President of the Buckeye Keeshond Club. Deborah has also been a member of the Dog Writers Association of America and has judged her breed both in the USA and England.

On to Week one (9/9/2004)

SoftMaple 2004 Litter

SoftMaple Curly Coated Retrievers
Mark and Cathy Lewandowski
8282 Soft Maple Road
Croghan New York 13327

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For information about our next litter email me at:
softmaple@curlycoat.org

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